Head coach Dave DiIanni has his eyes fixed on a ninth straight GLIAC title.

Allendale, Mich. - The Grand Valley State women's soccer team has a chance to do something on Friday (Oct. 25) that no other Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference program has done before. Win a ninth straight league title.

Ashland managed to win eight conference championships from 1997-2004. GVSU ended the Eagles' run in 2005 and have been the class of the GLIAC ever since.

The No. 1 Lakers recently put themselves into position to accomplish this remarkable feat with dominant victories over league foes Findlay (7-0) and Tiffin (13-0). Those wins elevated GVSU's conference record to 9-0-0 with only three GLIAC matches remaining.

Head coach Dave DiIanni admitted it is natural for a team to get complacent after several lopsided matches, but this group realizes there are bigger goals to accomplish.

"That's a human emotion. We just talk a lot about why we're doing well right now. It is the work ethic and the focus in practice from Tuesday to Thursday and on Saturdays," DiIanni said. "We have a very good group of seniors that have come to work every day in practice and are showing the focus that is needed."

"Our ultimate goal isn't to beat Tiffin, Malone or Findlay, it is to be GLIAC champions. To do that, we have to go through two really good teams this weekend."

GVSU will make the long haul to the upper peninsula for a pair of matches against Michigan Tech (Oct. 25) and Northern Michigan (Oct. 27). DiIanni insists the trip will be no different than any other time the Lakers have hit the road this season.

"Since I've been here, every year we've approached the U.P. trip like any other trip. It might be a degree or two colder, and this year it might be much more than that, but outside of that, we don't speak about the trip negatively," DiIanni said. "We use it as an experience to see a different part of the state...We're excited about getting up there and playing some good teams."

Friday's match will garner plenty of attention. The Huskies (9-3-1, 6-1-1 GLIAC) are the only team with the ability to potentially overtake GVSU in the conference standings.
Nothing will take the Lakers by surprise against Michigan Tech given the fact both teams play an almost identical brand of soccer.

"(It will be) very aggressive and confrontational defensively," DiIanni said. "It's going to be a very good game; probably the best to date in our conference schedule and our kids are really excited about it."

In addition to chasing a league championship, GVSU has a chance to make NCAA Division II history this weekend. If the Lakers managed to hold Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan scoreless, they will match the record for the longest shutout streak. GVSU has not given up a goal in any of its first 15 matches.

Also, senior goalkeeper Abbey Miller has played 1,172:57 straight minutes without surrendering a goal. The Saginaw, Mich. native needs to keep opposing teams from scoring for 150:23 to set a new Division II record.

GVSU faces Michigan Tech at 7:00 p.m. and will square off with Northern Michigan at 12:00 p.m.